Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is currently the most common type of surgery used to treat chronic sinusitis. In a typical FESS procedure, an endoscope is inserted into the nostril along with one or more surgical instruments. The surgical instruments are then used to cut tissue and/or bone, cauterize, suction, etc. In most FESS procedures, the natural ostium (e.g., opening) of at least one paranasal sinus is surgically enlarged to improve drainage from the sinus cavity. The endoscope provides a direct line-of-sight view whereby the surgeon is typically able to visualize some but not all anatomical structures within the surgical field. Under visualization through the endoscope, the surgeon may remove diseased or hypertrophic tissue or bone and may enlarge the ostia of the sinuses to restore normal drainage of the sinuses. FESS procedures can be effective in the treatment of sinusitis and for the removal of tumors, polyps and other aberrant growths from the nose.
The surgical instruments used in the prior art FESS procedures have included; applicators, chisels, curettes, elevators, forceps, gouges, hooks, knives, saws, mallets, morselizers, needle holders, osteotomes, ostium seekers, probes, punches, backbiters, rasps, retractors, rongeurs, scissors, snares, specula, suction canulae and trocars. The majority of such instruments are of substantially rigid design.
In order to adequately view the operative field through the endoscope and/or to allow insertion and use of rigid instruments, many FESS procedures of the prior art have included the surgical removal or modification of normal anatomical structures. For example, in many prior art FESS procedures, a total uncinectomy (e.g., removal of the uncinate process) is performed at the beginning of the procedure to allow visualization and access of the maxilary sinus ostium and/or ethmoid bulla and to permit the subsequent insertion of the rigid surgical instruments. Indeed, in most traditional FESS procedures, if the uncinate process is allowed to remain, such can interfere with endoscopic visualization of the maxillary sinus ostium and ethmoid bulla, as well as subsequent dissection of deep structures using the available rigid instrumentation.
More recently, new devices, systems and methods have been devised to enable the performance of FESS procedures and other ENT surgeries with minimal or no removal or modification of normal anatomical structures. Such new methods include, but are not limited to, uncinate-sparing Balloon Sinuplasty™ procedures and uncinate-sparing ethmoidectomy procedures using catheters, non-rigid instruments and advanced imaging techniques (Acclarent, Inc., Menlo Park, Calif.). Examples of these new devices, systems and methods are described in incorporated U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/829,917 entitled Devices, Systems and Methods for Diagnosing and Treating Sinusitis and Other Disorders of the Ears, Nose and/or Throat; 10/944,270 entitled Apparatus and Methods for Dilating and Modifying Ostia of Paranasal Sinuses and Other Intranasal or Paranasal Structures; 11/116,118 entitled Methods and Devices for Performing Procedures Within the Ear, Nose, Throat and Paranasal Sinuses filed Apr. 26, 2005 and 11/150,847 entitled Devices, Systems And Methods Useable For Treating Sinusitus filed on Jun. 10, 2005.
Though the Balloon Sinuplasty™ system has led to great advances in paranasal sinus treatments, further development and refinement of the system and methods for using it are continually being sought. For example, it would be desirable to have a system that is simpler than the current system for physicians to use, especially for physicians who are new to the system. Ideally, such a simplified system could be used and manipulated by one user and not require an assistant, at least in some cases. Also ideally, such a system would be simply packaged in a way that was convenient for the user. At least some of these objectives will be met by the present invention.